Chapter Four: Chen San’s Approach

Chen San’s Breakfast Shop, as the name suggests, is owned by a man named Chen San, who is in his fifties and a native of Gaocheng City, a place where his family has been doing business for generations.

By the time of his father’s generation, the family had fallen into disgrace, and when Chen San was still a child, their fortunes declined sharply.

By Chen San’s generation, the family was even more impoverished, but through his own hard work over the years, he managed to save some money, take over this little shop, and has been running it ever since.

Every time Ma Jianguo came to Gaocheng on business, if he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, he would come here to dine. Over time, he grew quite familiar with Chen San, the shop owner.

“Hey, Master Ma, it’s been almost half a year since I last saw you,” Chen San’s hoarse yet powerful voice rang out as Ma Jianguo stepped inside.

Ma Jianguo, rare to see him smile broadly, felt an instant kinship with Chen San from their very first meeting—a man he thought worth befriending.

“Yes indeed, Shopkeeper Chen. Today I brought my son to the city to take care of some matters,” Ma Jianguo said, nodding toward a table inside where Ma Yuan had already taken a seat.

“Oh, that must be your boy! I’ve heard you mention him many times, but it’s the first time I’ve seen him. Strong-looking lad, a good worker, I’d say,” Chen San said cheerfully, leaning on the counter.

“Ha, strong he is, but he’s wasted these past years just eating meals. Getting him to do a job is harder than killing him,” Ma Jianguo laughed, never one to boast about his own child in front of others.

Chen San chuckled heartily but, being sharp, his eyes flicked quickly as he roughly guessed the purpose of Ma Jianguo’s visit.

“Master Ma, bringing the boy to the city this time—what’s the plan? To give him some exposure to the world?” Chen San habitually wiped the counter and glanced at the increasing number of pedestrians outside.

Ma Jianguo had been worried; he knew the largest school in the county was the Quhe Academy but had no acquaintances there.

Moreover, unlike carpentry, the concept of schooling was a mystery to him—completely unfamiliar.

But now, hearing Chen San’s question, a flicker of hope ignited in Ma Jianguo’s mind. Chen San had lived in Gaocheng many years and surely had some connections. Leaning closer to the counter, Ma Jianguo lowered his voice and spoke cautiously.

“Shopkeeper Chen, to be honest, I brought the boy to the city hoping to enroll him in school. Would you mind taking a look and seeing if it’s possible?” Ma Jianguo began to open his heart to Chen San.

“We don’t know anyone in the city. I was wondering if you, Shopkeeper Chen, could help us out a bit?” Ma Jianguo, clever man that he was, pulled out a small cloth bag and considered slipping a few bills from inside.

Chen San waved his hand, firmly grasping Ma Jianguo’s hand. “Master Ma, what are you doing? Do you look down on me, Chen San?”

Ma Jianguo’s face flushed red and blue. He was inexperienced in such matters and was surprised to be stopped so abruptly.

Unable to resist Chen San’s grip, Ma Jianguo carefully tucked the bag back into his chest pocket.

“Then, Shopkeeper Chen, I won’t be polite. Since it’s about my boy, I’ll have to trouble you,” Ma Jianguo said, looking somewhat embarrassed.

At that moment, the shop assistant brought two bowls of porridge to the table where Ma Yuan sat. The aroma of the fresh porridge made Ma Yuan swallow involuntarily.

“Master Ma, this isn’t a difficult matter. I do know someone, and this person teaches at the best school in the city. Through his connections, your boy should be able to get in,” Chen San said with a hint of mystery as he glanced at Ma Yuan sitting nearby.

Hearing this, Ma Jianguo perked up immediately. After all, this was the very reason he had come to Gaocheng.

Chen San no longer held back. “To be frank, Master Ma, the person I know teaches the new curriculum. The old ways might not work so well anymore.”

Ma Jianguo fell silent. Though his education was limited, he had always felt that the ancient traditions passed down from their ancestors were the most authentic.

He had heard talk of these new teachings, promoted by the current government, but he remained skeptical.

His stubborn nature made him quite resistant to the new curriculum.

“Shopkeeper Chen, please allow me to think it over carefully. I’ll come back tomorrow and ask for your help again,” Ma Jianguo said, still undecided, politely declining Chen San’s offer for the time being.

Chen San saw the hesitation in Ma Jianguo’s eyes and understood his difficulties. Smiling, he said, “Master Ma, this matter must be taken slowly. You can’t rush it—it concerns your son’s future. Besides, the new teachings are the way of the world now. The old ways are gradually being phased out. So take your time to think it over. I’ll be here waiting for your reply.”

Ma Jianguo was slightly taken aback, then after a moment cupped his fists in thanks. “Thank you, Shopkeeper Chen.”

Ma Jianguo and Ma Yuan quickly finished the two bowls of thin porridge and bid Chen San farewell.

“Father, what did the shopkeeper say?” On the way back to their tenement building, Ma Yuan suddenly asked from the back of the donkey cart.

Ma Jianguo was surprised—this was the first time Ma Yuan had ever asked him about such matters.

He felt a genuine surprise in his heart.

“What’s that? You want to know?” Ma Jianguo teased, secretly delighted. He was curious to see if his son had any thoughts or plans of his own.

Ma Yuan chewed his lips, feeling bored and reluctant to speak.

After a long pause with no response, Ma Jianguo, feeling awkward, gave up the pretense and said plainly, “We came to the city to find you a place to study. Shopkeeper Chen has some connections. I wanted to ask him to help pick a good school, so you could see what this new learning is about.”

“Don’t just listen to what Huo Dashan says—that’s all old, useless stuff. Come and learn for yourself, see for yourself. It’s always a good thing, understand?”

Ma Yuan seemed to understand, yet also seemed a bit unclear, nodding quietly to himself where no one else could see.

The noisy voices from the street outside no longer reached Ma Yuan’s ears. His thoughts drifted away like clouds in the sky, floating off to some distant, unknown place.